Attachment for can openers



- June 8, 1954 IR. J. GRILL ATTACHMENT FOR. CAN OPENERS FiledJufi'e 26, 1952 INVENTOR- Rudoli J: Grill u ffforngu s Patented June 8, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- ATTACHMENT FOR CAN OPENERS Rudolf J. Grill, South Ozone Park, N. Y. Application June 26, 1952, Serial No. 295,770

8 Claims.

1 This invention relates to a device in the form of an attachment or accessory which may be used in conjunction with a container opener and a guard or shield to prevent or keep the liquid which usually is discharged in a spray or jet from soiling articles as a container is being opened or punctured.

The principal object of the present invention is the provision of a device of the indicated character which is designed and adapted to be used with a conventional containeropener and a cup constituting the guard or shield.

In accordance with the aforesaid object, the

device is readily applicable to a certain type of container opener, and will accommodate paper cups of different sizes and shapes for .the aforesaid purposes.

The nature of the invention and its distinguishing features and advantages will appear when the following specification is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a top plan view of anattachment embodying the features of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the attachment.

Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal sectional view showing the attachment in use.

Fig. 4 is a front end elevational view of the attachment with a cup in a guarding position, the cup being shown in dotted lines.

Generally stated, the present attachment comprises an adapter I and a guard or shield holder II connected with the adapter II! for movement into and out of a guarding or shielding position.

The adapter I0 is designed and adapted to fit on a can opener I2 of a type now on the market and in general use. This type of opener consists of an elongated body of metal providing a handle 13 with a pointed or V shape end portion I4 bent downwardly, said end portion having converging cutting edges constituting means adapted to pierce and cut the metal of the container. A lug I5 is struck from the body rearwardly of the portion I4. container and acts as a fulcrum for the purpose of rocking the opener causing the portion I4 to make a V shape discharge opening [6 in the head of the container [1. The handle I3 has straight parallel side edges.

The adapter I0 may be made of any suitable material, and in the present instance is made of sheet metal. It is of elongated channel formation to conform to the shape of the handle I3 of the opener. The adapter I0 embodies flanges I8 The lug engages the seam of the extending longitudinally and directed downwardly and inwardly. On one end of the adapter I0 are formed pintle rolls I9 spaced from each other in axial alinement. The adapter I!) is designed to be slid on and off the handle I3 of the opener at will.

The holder I I is made of single piece of spring wire of suitable guage. The holder generally considered is of U shape. The wire is bent upon itselfproviding interconnected members 20, 2|, 22 and 23, and portions 24 and 2 5. The member 20 is of inverted U shape and constitutes a handle. The members 2I extend laterally from the legs of the member 2| and constitute pintles. The portions 24 are each of L shape partly rebent and connect the members 2| with the members 22. These members 22 are arcuate and constitute jaws or clasping members. The portions 25 are of U shape and connect the members 22 with the members 23. These members 23 extend rearwardly and upwardly adjacent the members 22, and constitute stops or detents. The portions 24 and 25 extend laterally outward with respect to the members 22, and constitute seats for purposes to be explained later.

The pintle members 2I are disposed in the rolls I 9, and the handle member 20 is disposed between the rolls I9 projecting upwardly with respect thereto. By this provision and arrangement, the holder I I is hingedly connected with the adapter I0 for movement into and out of a guarding po sition, and also enables the opener I2 to be rocked for a piercing or puncturing operation.

The jaw members 22 are flexible and resilient, and cooperate with each other to embrace or clasp the opposite sides of an open top vessel when the latter is inverted or upside down. The vessel preferably is a paper cup 26 of well known construction. It may be conical or frusto-conical of a kind in common use in different sizes. The jaw members 22 due to their flexibility and spring connection with the portions 24 accommodate such cups of different sizes. ,A cup of the type mentioned is used as a shield or guard.

A cup when inverted may be placed in the holder II by merely pushing the same inwardly of the holder between the jaw members 22with the brim of the cup resting on the members 23. This causes the members 23 to flex downwardly and then spring upwardly into a normal position as the cup reaches the limit of its inward movement against the handle 20. The brim of the cup which is 9. rolled brim is received in and rests upon the seat members 24 and 25. The members 23 oppose the side wall of the cup and thus pre- 3 vent the cup from unintentional movement out of the holder l l. The cup may be easily removed from the holder by merely canting it.

The cup held in the holder H in the manner stated serves as a guard or shield to trap the liquid under pressure due to agitation or having been heated while in the container, as the liquid leaves the container through a discharge opening cut thereinwith the. opener l2.

It will-Lbeunderstood that when the device is in operative position in relation to a container, the handle [3 may be manipulated to rock the holder and cup rearwardly, so that the user may observe the position of the cuttingjend l llprior to the puncturing or piercing, operation; that when the holder H is returned; thecup-will' be disposed over the opening as it is; made. in the:

head of the container with the seat members 25 in contact with the container; and that the seat members 25 in contact with the container prevent downward roc ing movement of the holder i i as theopener' l2. isv being rocked: to puncture or pierce the container;

If desired thejaw members 22each may have a V shape crimp 21 so thatthe holder II will accommodate a guard vessel square in cross seccan;

It-is to be further understood that the inven tion is not restricted to the details above described, but includes-allconstructions and modi" fications coming within the scope of 'theappended claims;

I claim:

1-. An attachmenttforazcontainer opener comprising an adapter which fits on the opener, a holder hingedlyconnected with said adapter, said holder having resilient" cooperative members adapted-to embracethe opposite sides of an open top vessel and thus hold the vessel inverted, so as-to serve asaguard overan opening made in the container with the opener.

2; An attachment asset forth in claim 1, wherein said members have means connected therewith which engage the vessel and prevent it from moving in one direction out-of the holder.

3. An attachment as set forth inclaim 1, wherein saidi holder has a handle for moving the; holder on its hinge connection into and out of a guarding position.

4. An attachment for a container opener, comprisingan adapter w-hich'fits on the opener, and aholder constructed of a single piece of spring wireand comprising resilient cooperative guard holding jaw members connected by means of an intermediate portion of the wireconstituting, a hinge pintle, saidadapter having a rolled portion in which said pintle is disposed, thereby hingedly connecting the holder with the adapter for movement into and out of a guarding position.

5. An attachment for a container opener comprising an adapter which fits on the opener, and a spray guard holder, said holder being made of spring wire and of generally U shape, the wire being bent upon itself and forming two resilient cooperative jaw members connected by an intermediate portion' constituting a handle, lateral portions in continuation of the intermediate portion and constituting hinge pintles, said adapter having rolled" portions spaced apart on one end of the adapter, said hinge pintles being disposed in'said'rolled portions respectively with said handle. disposed between said rolled portions, the pintles and rolled portions hingedly connecting the holder with the adapter, the provision and arrangement being such that the jaw members may embrace. the opposite sides of a suitable guard andholdthe: guard over an opening made in: the container by the opener, and said handle being manipulatable: to rock the holder'into and out of a: guarding position;

6. An attachment as set forth in claim 5, wherein the jaw members have inwardly extendiing portions made from'the wire and constituting means which prevent the guard from slipping forwardly out of theho'lder.

7. An attachment fora container opener comprising an adapter which fits on theopener, a cup holder pivotally connected with one end of the adapter, said cup holder having. cooperative resilient jaw members, seats formedron the jaw members upon whichan inverted cup may rest, and resilient detent members connected with the seats to engage the cup and keep it from slipping out; of the holder;

8. An. attachment as set forth in claim 7, wherein the holder is: made in its entirety of spring wire.

References. Cited in the file of this patent- UN'ITED' STATES PATENTS Number Name Date,

918,729 Blue Apr. 20, 19.09 1,161,657. Graves et a1. Nov. 23', 1915 1,312,142 Smith Aug. 5, 1919 2,077,675 Cross Apr. 20, 1937 2,080,090 Mumaugh May 11, 1937 2,082,402 Kusnarowis June 1, 1937 2,124,732 Culinovic. July 26, 1938 2,280,336 Maihack Apr. 21', 1942 

